Alan Waste

Hey kids, you’re about to learn a fine new piece of Videogames Industry Phraseology. It’s new, even for my kind! We’ve only been using it for like a month, and now you’re about to uncover its mysteries…

When a publisher – say, hypothetically, Microsoft – announces that a game – say, hypothetically, Remedy’s upcoming Alan Wake – will utilize “Project Ten Dollar” style DLC, what do you think that means?

See, the publisher would like you to believe that this new “project ten dollar” initiative, first started by EA a couple of months ago, is a way for the first-liners to cut into used game sales by including single-use DLC vouchers. The first person to redeem it gets the patch DLC for free, but later users have to pay ten bucks for it. And the publisher can release as much DLC as they want – witness the Cerberus Network of Mass Effect 2.

Now, I understand why publishers dislike the used games market, and I understand why developers do too. And I understand why efforts are being made to cut into that market. It’s revenue that doesn’t go to the creators of the game. But just as authors don’t get royalties from used bookstores, or bands from used record stores, game developers have no god-given right to bling from secondhand games. After all, their EULAs gleefully remind us at every opportunity that we’re not buying the software, we are buying a license to use the software.

Well then, bitches, I can damn well transfer that license to someone else.

Alarm bells started ringing about Alan Wake quite some time ago. Remedy, behind the super-awesome Max Payne games, is known for taking a long time to produce stuff. And if Max Payne is any indication, the result is worth the wait. But Alan Wake may be a misstep. First off, and let’s be frank here, the game is five years late. That’s rarely a good sign.

Second, since the release date – May 18 – finally was announced, Microsoft and Remedy have been furiously spinning their decision make the game blatantly episodic (literally, you’re confronted with a “Last time on Alan Wake,” even if last time was like two minutes ago) as a good thing and useful for the psychological horror nature of the title, when in truth what it means is that they can…

…wait for it…

ship a broken beta and periodically release “episodes” that conveniently fix bugs and will, eventually, cobble together into a complete game. This is the new way of dealing with unfinished product. Used to be, they’d just ship a broken game and unleash a shower of patches. Nowadays, though, marketing-savvy industry wogs have transformed that.

They’re not patching the game, they’re enhancing the experience – and rewarding those who buy it new. If you get a copy used at GameStop, you might save a buck or two off the disc, but the game’s not on the disc. In order to get the game experience as Remedy intended it, you’ll need the episodes, and those will cost you ten dollars each.

I really like Remedy Entertainment, and I worry about them, because they’ve been quite clear that they’re betting the farm on Alan Wake. It’s already been completely re-envisioned from its original design of open-world horror show; the game is now a linear, mission-based survival horror experience with occasional bouts of exposition. The episodic approach and promise of DLC enhancements remind me of another recent survival horror flameout that once had potential – Alone in the Dark. And I really think that Microsoft is putting Remedy into this position against its will. So the only hope is that the legendary studio will be able to pull another bunny out of its hat and produce gaming gold in Alan Wake despite the deck being stacked against it. I hope for the best, but I have my doubts.

Any time a developer and publisher work so hard to cheerfully spin an unfinished product as “episodic” and “value-added,” I die a bit inside.

About the author

Tap-Repeatedly Overlord Steerpike is a games industry journalist and consultant. His earliest memories are of video games, and hopes his last memories will be of them as well. He’s a featured monthly columnist with the International Game Developers Association, and is internationally published in an assortment of dull e-Learning texts and less dull gaming publications. He also lectures on games at various universities.

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6 Responses to Alan Waste

Helmut05/04/2010

This game was dead the moment Microsoft used it to lure people to upgrade from XP to Vista via the DX10 exclusive API. Ha ha ha ha ha. First it was exclusive to the PC, then it wasn’t to ship to the PC at all. I’m sure it will have a spin as an OnLive exclusive before the day is done. Just rename it Alan Wake Forever and be done with it.

Jakkar05/04/2010

I lost hope a very long time ago. And they don’t even have Max Payne to fall back on. Are Remedy truly still alive?

xtal05/10/2010

I couldn’t believe when, a few months back, it was announced that Alan Wake wouldn’t ship for PC. Ever.

This was one of few games I have been following for several years now, mostly due to my enjoyment of Max Payne and its surprisingly good sequel, The Fall of Max Payne. I was appalled to say the least.

I don’t know if I’ll play this on 360. I’d like to, and I’ve heard comparisons to Peaks which is intriguing, though most likely just an over-zealous proclamation by one of the slobber machines.

“Diane….. it’s May 10th, 12:38 in the AM… I could really go for some cherry pie and a damned fine cup of coffee while I consider Alan Wake, here.”

[…] myself was displeased with the DLC model the game’s been trumpeting, and many have been ticked by publisher […]

Max "xtal" Boone03/15/2011

Well, if you thought Alan Wake was bad for launch DLC, behold: Dragon Age II. The game isn’t a week old (okay, it’s exactly 1 week old) and I’m already being prodded and poked when I turn it on: “Hello, buy this DLC for $6.99, you’ll get a new companion, he does tricks and shits magical beanstalks!”

Really? And this isn’t “launch DLC” that is free to everyone who buys a new copy of the game. This is legitimate, Day 1 DLC that everyone must pay for. WHY ISN’T IT INCLUDED IN THE GODDAMN GAME, BIOWARE/EA? WHAT THE HELL?